Electrician&#39;s tool.



UNTTED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRICIANS TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,857, dated April 12, 1904-.-

Application filed June 19, 1903.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT H. HUTCHINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, county of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electricians Tools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in an electricians tool, and has for its object to provide a special tool for cutting the sleeve of insulation surrounding twin insulated wires.

WVith this end in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool with the knife raised or swung upon its pivot; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section showing the tool in operation, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a plan view of the tool; Fig. 4, a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig, 3.

Electric cables are made of two wires, both separately insulated, and the two wires are surrounded by a covering or sleeve insulation, and when it is necessary to splice the wires the outer covering must be slit, and the customary way of doing this is to use an ordinary knife; but unless the operator is unusually skilled and uses great care the insulation of the wires will be also cut with the sleeve or outer covering.

My improved tool is for the purpose of slitting the outer covering at any point desired in the cable without damaging the insulation of the individual wires.

The tool consists of a body portion A, which has formed through it longitudinally an opening B of the same size as the cross-section of the cable. This body A is divided horizontally into two halves A and A which are hinged together at the points A and may be secured together by a spring-latch C, which Serial No. 162,205. (No model.)

latch is secured at its upper end to an extension 1), extending upward from the half A of the body. The nose of thelatch springs underneath a lug E, extending outward from the half A of the body. Each half of the body is grooved longitudinally, so that when the two halves are brought together an opening will be formed of the desired shape to hold the wire.

F is a block pivoted to the extension D at the point G. This block is bifurcated at its lower end and adapted to straddle a projection H, extending upward from the body, so as to hold the block against lateral movement when in operation.

I is a knife secured to the side of the block F, the knife being slotted, as indicated at I,

through which the screws 1 pass, which secure the knife to the block. By means of the slots in the knife said knife may be adjusted as it is worn away by sharpening or to make a narrow or deep cut. The edge of the knife is formed upon an incline, and this edge is also beveled laterally.

D is a stop formed with the projection D for holding the knife against movement in one direction when it is operating. The upper half A of the body is provided with a slot J, through which the knife extends to the opening B through the body.

K represents handles or pins extending on tward from each side of the body for manipulating the tool. a

In operating the tool the two halves of the body are opened andthe cable L inserted between the same and the body closed. Then by forcing the point of the knife downward in contact with the cable and by pulling the tool relative to the cable in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 the knife will still farther embed itself in the covering of the cable and rock upon its pivot until stopped by the stop I). Then a continued movement of the tool will slit the covering in a straight line exactly between the two wires without cutting into the insulation of the wire. Thus it will be seen that the covering can be slit any length desired, but only slit one end of a cable. The body of the tool need not be opened, and it is only necessary to insert the cable into the body at the end lettered X and the cable will push the knife so as to rock it upon its pivot, and when the cable has been inserted as far as it is desired to slit the same then by grasping the tool and pulling it toward the end of the cable the knife will resume its normal position and slit the covering to the end.

Of course I do not Wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modi fications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. In a tool of the character described, a body, an opening formed longitudinally through the body of a size sufiicient to lit a cable, an extension extending upward from the body, an adjustable knife pivoted at its upper end to the extension, the body being provided with a slot through which the knife extends when in its vertical or normal position,a stop formed with the extension for limiting the movement of the knife in one direction, and handles for Epgrating the tool,as and for the purpose speci- 2. In atool of the character described, a body,

a longitudinal opening formed through the 'body in which the cable containing twin Wires is adapted to fit, an extension extending upward from the body, a block pivoted to the extension, a knife adjustablysecured to the block, the body being provided with a slot through which the knife may extend to the interior of the body when said knife is in its normal position, and into the cable between the two insulated wires, a stop formed with the extension for limiting or holding the knife in a vertical position when operating, and

handles secured to the body for manipulating the same, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In atool of the character described, a longitudinally and horizontally divided body, the two halves of the body being hinged together, means for holding the two halves of the body temporarily together, each half of the body being provided upon its inside face with a longitudinal groove, which grooves, when the two halves are together, form a longitudinal opening adapted to fit a cable of twin wires, an extension extending upward from the upper half of the body, a block pivoted at its upper end to the upper end of the extension so as to swing longitudinally, a stop formed with the extension adapted to limit the movement of the block in one direction, the lower end of the block being bifurcated, a lug extending upward from the body adapted to enter between the prongs of the bifurcated portion when the block is in its normal position, an adjustable knife secured to the side of the block, the cutting edge of the knife being beveled and formed upon an incline, the upper portion of the body being provided withaslot through which the knife may extend to the interior of the body when in its operative position, said knife being in such a position as to cut through the outer covering of the cable between the two insulated wires, and handles se-' cured to the body for manipulating the same, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT H. HUTCHINGS.

I/Vitnesses:

E. E. GoDsHALK, SAM. D.'CLY1 E. 

